Firecrest 38L

-The upper ice tool attachment can slip out of the hole. Easy fix - simply tie a bigger knot in the cord, or use a slightly larger diameter cord.

-The lack of an external crampon attachment is, I think, due to advances in modern crampons. Blue Ice crampons, Peztl Irvis Hybrid, etc will fold up and store in a helmet. If taking my rigid crampons I will use the top strap of the pack to attach them.

-Would be nice if there were attachment points for switching the skimo carry from one side to the other. Would add hardly any weight. I do wonder about having the metal skimo hook in my face during a bad fall/avalanche. I may remove it for everyday skiing.

-The open pocket on the chest strap fits a 300-500ml bottle. Or you can use it for snacks and put a 1L nalgene in the side pocket.

-I primarily use this for ski touring but removed the avy pocket. It takes up too much space due to basically hanging in the middle of the pack. Instead, I put the shovel blade in the hydration sleeve and the shovel handle and probe in the main part of the pack (both fit together in the bag my probe came with). Still very quick to grab everything, so long as you know where things are. You could also use the avy pocket but have it resting against the back of the pack rather than hanging in the middle. Would take up less space that way and be very fast to grab the whole pocket will all of your rescue gear.

-I usually leave the lid drawstring fully open/loose and just secure the top of the pack with the one strap. I personally think doing that makes getting to rescue gear very nearly as fast as having an external avy pocket like the Kume.

I bought this pack to be an all around mountaineering pack, whether I'm skiing, or climbing ice or rock. I was really excited for the ability to externally carry gear that I'll need on a climb, then start climbing with a fairly small pack.

Rope Carry: The rope carry is awkward, unlike other blue ice rope carry systems the strap starts quite low down the pack, likely to allow more range for compression, but it makes the rope carry basically unusable. You can't place the rope on top of the brain without it wanting to slide down the pack, and you can't put the rope under the brain if you're carrying a lot of gear.

Ice Tool Carry: The upper tool carry isn't good, I had to slide the tools carefully into the strap, feeding it in. Then on the first trip the elastic came out since it's just a knot that holds it in the hole, so now I just have a loop of elastic that leaves tools flopping around. This is another case where Blue Ice could have simply done what they do on other packs like the Dragonfly.

Side Zip: The side zip is a nice idea, but it is quite hard to rummage through the pack or stuff gear with such a small opening.

Positives: I like the frame, avy gear carry, and skimo style chest waterbottle holder. It is a pretty good volume while not being too bulky or uncomfortable to climb with.

Great pack, but the waist buckle is pretty awful. Doesn't snap, sometimes comes undone on it's own and gard to get it to stay together. Such a simple thing, yet such a big problem. Also, my shovel doesn't fit in the shovel sleeve sadly. Both pretty key let downs. Lastly, the side zip to access the contents of the pack should be on the opposite of the quick carry system. I really like everything else so far. Great design overall outside of a few significant misses. Please excuse my blunt nature.

Great pack - have used it backcountry skiing this winter in New Hampshire. Great for long days - depending on your helmet, probably too narrow to stuff your helmet inside so don't forget to buy the helmet holder for outside the pack portage. It's too big for short fast days but if the weather is dicey, nice to have room for all the what if's. The pockets on the shoulder straps are great for both a short flask on one side and your phone on the other. Has made it my go to pack.

I've only had the opportunity to use this pack for an overnight mountaineering trip for work as a guide, and it worked so well! I was able to fit a tent, sleeping kit, alpine gear, and layers, in addition to 2 liters of water and all the essentials. The front pouch for water is awesome, and I enjoyed not having my phone jiggling around in my pants pocket. I was dismayed to find there was no outside crampon attachment, but I decided to rig up my own with shock cord, and it worked perfectly. Excited to use this pack for rock and ski missions in the future. Super happy Blue Ice makes a S/M torso option, most packs are too long for me, but this one fit well and didn't cut into my boney hips. 10/10 would recommend.